Career or Vocation?

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen [The Holden Prayer]

Dear Friends,

On the radio yesterday, I had heard some interviews with Emergency Room doctors who were going to or already had moved out of their ER roles. The story was primarily about how the stress of being an ER doctor is driving doctors out of the ER. The reasons for this seem to primarily be that there are not enough rooms to allow patients to be admitted to hospital. This causes the ER beds to be filled with people waiting to be admitted. This then impedes their ability to deal with the emergency patients who walk in the door.

This is of concern to all of us because it impacts the ability of our health system to support healthy outcomes for people needing care. Though this is important, what I’m going to focus on was the reaction of the doctors. What they expressed was that they were leaving the ER because of the stress of not being able to provide people with the care that they needed. It became too much for them to walk into the ER day after day with all the beds full, the waiting room full, and ambulances arriving. For their own mental health, they had to leave the ER… they had to leave the job that THEY LOVED DOING. For these doctors, being an ER doctor was not just their career that they did to make money, it was their vocation (which is fancy word for calling). It was the place where their abilities and passions intersected with the needs of the world.

On Sunday, I portrayed one of the disciples whom Jesus sent out on their mission.

When Jesus sent them out, he sent them to:

·         Go places they haven’t been before.

·         Meet people they have never met before.

·         Do things they have not done before.

·         Rely on other people to provide for their needs.

Why would anyone do this?

On the other hand, as people pursue careers, they often have to:

·         Go places they haven’t been before.

·         Meet people they have never met before.

·         Do things they have not done before.

·         Rely on other people to provide for their needs.

[You might balk at the last one of “relying on other people to provide for their needs,” but we all do this when we take a job, sign a contract, sell things, and offer services!]

The big difference between a career and a vocation is that a vocation is ALWAYS about serving other people. Jesus came and the disciples were sent so that people might know the good news about God’s love. Doctors who are following their calling are focused on improving the health of others. Teachers who are following their calling are committed to having their students learn. Home builders who are following their calling find fulfilment in providing high quality housing for people. On the other hand, we have all encountered people in their careers who are just there for the pay cheque and don’t have their focus on helping others.

Following my calling took me from being an electrical engineer to going to seminary and becoming a pastor. To follow your calling DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO BECOME A PASTOR! It means finding the place where your abilities and passions intersect with the needs of the world. If you have found yourself in such a situation, then the key to having a fulfilling vocation is to trust that God has called you there to make a difference for others. By maintaining that perspective, it can help you suffer through the menial aspects of your job and to find joy—over and over again—by serving others.

My prayer for you is that your career is your vocation!

Peace,

Pastor Phil